Utility box



C. BEAN UTILITY BOX Aug. 10, 1954 Filed Oct. 12 1949 INVENTOR. Caefi' fl BY Patented Aug. 10, 1954 I umrso smrss aarstur or F1 cs UTILITY BOX Calvin Bean, Sykesville, Pa. Application October 12, 1949, Serial No. 120,847

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in utility kits for use by outdoorsmen, which facilitates the transportation and handling of notions and other sundry items in compact and waterproof containers.

The invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partially in cross section, of a container or utility box embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a reel for carrying a line, adapted to fit into the container as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the reel shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view thereof;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 66, Fig. '7; and

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of a compartment slide for use in the container shown in Fig. 1.

With reference to the several figures of the drawing, numeral I designates a metal container which may be in the form of a standard tobacco tin or can having a reentrant bottom 2 and a beaded edge 3 to give it structural form and strength, the container being provided with a bead 4 adjacent the top to give it structural form. Container I is provided with a closure 5 which may be hinged to the wall of the container and which has sealing engagement at 6 with the top edge of the tin I.

A shown in Fig. 2, the side walls of the coin tainer I are rounded or curved as designated by the numeral 7. The curved tins I are of substantial strength and will not be readily injured when packed with other duiile and handled during transportation. Such containers may be employed for various uses, such as for packing reels 8, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, having tongues 9 and with hollow trunnions ill, the cross members I I holding the side members 8 together and functioning as rungs on which the line, such as a fishing line, is wound. The hollow trunnions I function to receive a rod or stick to permit of the rapid unreeling of the line when desired.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a slide or utility box comprising a base I2, side walls I3 and partition walls I 4. Like the reel 8 of Fig. 3, the utility box is provided with tongues I which, as

shown in Fig. 2, are disposed in the curved or rounded portion of the container I, acting as spacers to maintain the utility box centered with the container I and prevent binding when the box is slid out of the container. In other words, the tongues I5 interact with the curved wall of the container to center the box and act as slides to permit free sliding of the utility box in the container, The tongues 9 of the reel 8 function in the same manner to center the reel in the container and prevent binding when the reel is slid into and out of the container I. The partition Walls I4 of the utility box divide the latter into compartments, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, for storing buttons, needles, thread and other small items, and utility boxes with larger compartments may be employed as first aid kits.

By the utilization of the sliding tongues of the filler member and the curved walls of the container, various uses may be made of the containers by woodsmen or soldiers to keep small items sorted and dry and ready for use at all times. The containers themselves may be appropriately marked to designate their contents and the side that should be in the up position when the closure 5 is opened and the slides withdrawn.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

Iclaim:

1. A utility box comprising a container having fiat opposed walls interconnected by curved side walls and having a material carrying slide disposed therein of substantially the same thickness as the distance between said opposed walls of the container, said slide having flat side walls with tongues extending the full length of the slide and into the cavities formed by the curved walls of the container for engaging said curved walls to center the slide and provide free sliding movement within the container.

2. A utility box comprising a container having flat opposed walls interconnected by curved side walls with a removable closure at one end for receiving a filler in the shape of a utility box, said filler having the same thickness as the distance between said opposed walls and having flanges extending the full length of its side walls constituting tongues disposed in the curved interior of the container with the ends of the tongues having sliding contact with the curved walls of the container to center the slide mem- Number Name Date bers and permit free sliding movement thereof in 765,157 Alexander July 19, 1904 the centainer. 863,559 Snigo Aug. 13, 1907 1,023,276 Rouse Apr. 16, 1912 References Cited in the file of 121118 patent 5 1 2 1,361 Sherman 9 1913 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,409,153 Cotterman Mar. 14, 1922 Number Name Date 2, 2, 7 811 Aug. 4, 1936 226,872 Munson Apr. 27, 1880 gai i g 1322 317,615 Bogardus May 12, 1885 2598995 Gmfi n J 1952 456,010 Brittain July 14, 1891 

